ferguson



(No Model.)

J. L. FERGUSON. Station Indicator.

No. 231,297. Patented Aug. 17,1880.

gmmllli i WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

.PEI'ERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D\C- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JIRAH L. FERGUSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STATION-IND ICATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,297, dated August 17, 1880.

Application filed March 24, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JIRAH L. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators; and I' do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bcin g had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of station-indicators in which the names of the different streets or stations on the line of a road are printed or painted on a band of linen or other suitable material wound on rollers.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

The accompanying drawing shows a back view of the device, (with part of the band torn away;) and it consists of a front board, A, having an aperture, a, and provided with ribs B B B, which form bearings for a long roller, 0, and a short one, 0, upon which rollers is wound a band, D, made of glazed linen, or any other suitable material, according tothe taste of the manufacturer. This band passes from one roller to the other, through an aperture between the board A and the guide-bars E E, attached to said board, and has the names of the different streets or depots, as the case may be, painted or printed on it on both sides, in such relation to each other that when the name of a street appears between the two guide bars E E the corresponding name on the other side of the band shows in the center of the aperture a.

To one end of each of these rollers the ends of a cord, F, are attached, and are wound around the rollers in such a manner that by pulling the right-hand end of the cord the band is wound upon the lower roller and unwound from the upper one, and by pulling the left-hand end of the cord the reverse takes (No model.)

place. This cord passes through apertures in the ribs G G, and through an eye, H, attached to the board A, which ribs and eye form guides to keep the cord in proper position.

At the bottom of the cord is a weight, I, provided with eyes I), which serves to keep a tension on the cord.

By this arrangement of the long and short rollers and the weight the cord from the upper roller will not interfere with the lower roller, and the'cord is always kept at the proper tension.

At one end of 'each roller is a pad, 0, of leather or some elastic material, to prevent the roller turning without the pulling of the cord.

This device is capable of being used in many different positions; but it may be most advantageously employed by being set in the end of a car, within easy reach of the driver or conductor, who can, by manipulating the cord, cause the names of the streets the car is approaching to appear at the aperture a, which should face toward the passengers.

By the use of the names of the streets or depots on the reverse side the conductor or driver can tell whether the name of the street is the right one or not, or if it is in the right place, without going inside the car, because if the name on the reverse side appears between the two guide-bars the corresponding name must appear to the passengers if the names of the streets have been properly printed on the band.

Although I have used and prefer some translucent material for the band, yet by my plan an opaque material-such as enameled cloth-may be used if greater durability is desired.

It is obvious that a single guide-bar may be used, if desired; but I prefer two.

By this construction the passengers may be notified with certainty of the street which the car is approaching without opening the door of the car and without the possibility of their mistaking the name of the street, which frequently occurs, even where the names of the streets are cried out by the conduct or, and thus much vexation and trouble is arranged to Operate in the manner and for the avoided both to the conductor or driver and purpose set forth.

passengers. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature :0

What I claim as new isin presence of two witnesses.

The combination of the long upper roller, \Vitnesses: J. L. FERGUSON. O, with the short lower roller, 0, name-band D, and cord and weight I, all constructed and T. W. ROBERTSON, L. U. YOUNG. 

